HOME ABOUT WONKS BLOGS BOOKS ARCHIVES SUBSCRIBE Bacon’s Rebellion Bookstore The Shape of the Future E M Risse "These are meaty, robust ideas that can improve the quality of life over time by rationalizing the pattern and density of land use. The Shape of the Future is, however, more than a list of cures for what is often called 'sprawl.' It provides a basis for understanding the profound importance of human settlement patterns." -- Michael Heyman, Former Secretary, Smithsonian Institution Warrenton, VA: SYNERGY/Resources, 2000); ISBN 0-9678108-0-9;  third Printing, CD-ROM version. Price: $21.00 "The Shape of the Future: (Vol. I) The Critical, Overarching Impact of Human Settlement Patterns on Citizens' Economic, Social and Environmental Well-Being and (Vol. II) Prospering in 21st Century New Urban Regions" documents that the majority of citizens' most pressing problems have an overarching interconnection. That common denominator is dysfunctional human settlement patterns. Human settlement patterns -- the pattern and density of land use -- have profound, in fact, controlling impact on current and longer-term economic prosperity, social stability and environmental sustainability. Indicators of settlement-pattern dysfunction include lack of mobility and access, the shelter crisis, deteriorating competitiveness, increasing cost of services and decline in environmental resources such as the Chesapeake Bay. "The Shape of the Future" identifies Nine Fundamental Theses that frame contemporary civilization and articulates Five Natural Laws that are applied by Regional Metrics. Supporting these tools, it introduces a vocabulary and framework to understand human settlement. The book lays out Six Overarching Strategies to evolve functional human settlement patterns that, if intelligently pursued, will resolve or mitigate many of society's most serious dysfunctions. "The Shape of the Future" has been written not only for scholars and professionals but for all citizens who are interested in understanding why the many maladies of everyday life are rooted in dysfunctional settlement patterns and how these conditions can be improved. This book will help individuals, families, enterprises, institutions and government agencies create a viable future for themselves and others. The awareness, interest and understanding established by the book, together with the action strategies, are of central importance to those who want to achieve and maintain economic security and to improve the quality of their social and physical lives. For details, read the Introduction to "The Shape of the Future" and the information contained on the CD-ROM. Shopping Cart Your cart is empty Due to increasing concerns about Internet security, Bacon's Rebellion has elected to process its credit card transactions through PayPal, a world leader in the secure processing of Internet commerce. To purchase a book, just follow these steps: Click on the "Add to Cart" button Indicate the quantity of books you want to order, then click "Update Cart" Click "Proceed to Checkout" PayPal will calculate sales tax and shipping charges Conduct your credit card transaction through PayPal If you have any questions regarding the transaction of your purchase, contact us.